CHAPTER 10

Kalb paced slowly through the Reception Area of Whispering Rocks Psychic Summer Camp, his long neck drooping. Each time his right foot made contact with the ground and his muscles pushed his powerful leg forward, he flinched visibly. The metal encasing his thighs, legs, shins, and ankles was slick with a fluid red substance.

His T-shaped visor glowed vibrantly as he turned his neck behind him. His foot was leaving vivid crimson prints in the fresh snow, but he was observing something beyond himself. Two figures crouched far off in the distance, their forms nearly completely cloaked by a thick line of dry, brittle trees.

He stepped on a twig, which snapped loudly. Flinching sharply, he drew back, jerking his neck from side to side with raw energy, as if he was being hunted. When nothing came to attack, he continued his limping pace. Approaching the edge of the frozen pond, he laid down in the snow, slowly relaxing his right leg as he felt the coldness of the snow numb it. His clawed hand broke the thin ice on the surface of the pond, and as he dipped his hand in to scoop up water, he raised his eyes, holding his neck perfectly still and extending his long tongue into the wet palm of his hand.

As he repeated this, his raised eyes beneath his glowing visor detected a shaped darting among the trees. It was there one second, gone the next, like a whisp of black smoke. He turned his head behind him, seeing the figures still following him at a distance, and groaned loudly once.

Tsyr was on him in a flash, scales spraying off his maw, the long tongue extending, spraying spittle everywhere. The beast gave an angry scream and prepared to crush Kalb's chest with his powerful feet, seeing his opponent's injury. However, much to Tsyr's surprise and dismay, Kalb tucked his legs up underneath him a rolled gracefully, sliding away from the blow. Tsyr's foot struck a slippery patch of ice with full force, and it gave a hateful shriek as it toppled over backwards and plunged into the pond in a tangle of limbs.

Writhing to his feet, Tsyr stared hatefully at Kalb, who wiped some of the red fluid off his leg. It was in that moment, as the tangy odor entered Tsyr's nostrils, that he knew he had been tricked. There was no injury at all, but a masterfully feigned limp and thick smears of berry juices.

As Tsyr slowly realized all of this, the second part of the clever ruse was unfolding. Raz and Lili, keyed by Kalb's groan, circled behind the distracted being and readied Pyrokinesis. The creature leapt towards Kalb with its deadly foot claws raked forwards, but in midair he was lit ablaze by Lili and Raz's combined psychic efforts.

Shrieking terribly, Tsyr's momentum was halted and he fell out of the air, the deadly nightmare-inducing gases spewing from his body. Kalb grabbed both Lili and Raz in his huge arms and dragged them out of the way.

Luckily for Tsyr, his fall plunged him into the freezing waters of the pond, dousing the flames almost immediately. Rising from the water, Tsyr attacked again, his four arms spreading wide and rushing forward. Kalb sidestepped nimbly, flinching as his attacker's arms scraped his metal gauntlets.

Raz and Lili both began to concentrate again, preparing another blast on pyrokinesis, but Tsyr had turned from Kalb and dashed at them. Raz broked his concentration and jumped with all his might, putting all the muscle he had gained to the test. He scooped up Lili in mid-leap, feeling his arms scream in protest. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he landed just out of Tsyr's range.

Kalb fought inner turmoil, watching Tsyr chase the two teenagers. He wanted to fling himself forward, but any physical exertion too great could cause a short in his armor and lead to his death. Instead he formed a levitation globe beneath each wing and, gliding skillfully just above the ground, swooped in and caught both Raz and Lili, carrying them far out of the attacking Tsyr's reach once again.

Seeing the cause of his frustration, Tsyr gathered his legs beneath him and sprung, but Kalb cleverly tucked his wings in and spun his body. He scraped dangerously close to the ground, spraying snow everywhere, but he had once again evaded an attack.

Spreading his wings, Kalb said, "I'm going to take flight, so fire aggression down on Tsyr once we are safely above him."

Lili and Raz didn't have to wait long. Channeling their anger, streaking bolts of red energy raced from their foreheads, colliding into Tsyr. The being gave one of his menacing shrieks, but a second barrage collided with his head, and he went down on one knee.

"We're… we're doing it!" Lili cried, encouraged.

Tsyr watched his opponents circle above, his cold, calm mind calculating their every move. His eyes darted from their flying shapes to the thick black trunks of the trees surrounding him. His claws began to flick in and out.

With a triumphant screech, he launched himself close to the nearest tree and struck its base. Kalb spread his wings greatly, halting in midair. At that moment, Tsyr struck another tree with all his strength, and it toppled over. Seeing the vast black shaped approaching, Kalb pumped his wings furiously, but he couldn't evade the tree in time. With a painfully loud crunch it struck him full-on, and his unconscious form plummeted into the ground.

Tsyr approached the still form, his tongue writhing. Slowly, his mouth closed, and his scales grew over the bloody maw. Looking down, he was very pleased with the results of his tactic.

His counterpart Kalb lay crumpled in the snow before him. The rut in the ground he had left behind himself suggested that he slid, and then somersaulted painfully to a stop. Besides the fact that he was out cold and would remain so for quite awhile, he seemed rather intact, except for his chest plate. The bulky metal was cracked, and sparks danced across its surface.

Tsyr kicked Kalb's body to the side disdainfully, eyeing the children underneath. They were more intact than Kalb, suggesting that he had curled his body around them at the last second, taking the brunt of their blow. Lili was fine, unconscious and a little bruised, but that was it. Raz was little worse. Blood trickled from his nose, but he hadn't passed out yet.

Groggily, the green eyes began to focus on Tsyr. Held in their gaze, the creature knew he had found what he had desperately sought. The creature hefted Raz easily, who looked very much like he wanted to struggle, but obviously had no strength left.

The triumphant Tsyr walked away calmly, as if the battle had never happened and the process had occurred without a hitch. Already his wounds had been covered by fresh scales, and by the time dawn spread its fingertips throughout the valley, he would be whole once again.

Their plan against him had failed. His would succeed, and it would be the end of his miserable excuse for a counterpart.